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Fictional Adaptation Screenplay

The document is a script for a short film depicting a young man who reads a World War I poem and has a daydream inspired by it. In his daydream, he envisions the scenes from the poem and sees the ghost of his grandfather at a graveyard. He places flowers on an unmarked grave before leaving.

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Sam McKeown
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151 views4 pages

Fictional Adaptation Screenplay

The document is a script for a short film depicting a young man who reads a World War I poem and has a daydream inspired by it. In his daydream, he envisions the scenes from the poem and sees the ghost of his grandfather at a graveyard. He places flowers on an unmarked grave before leaving.

Uploaded by

Sam McKeown
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ANTHEM FOR A DOOMED YOUTH

Written by
SAM MCKEOWN
Draft Date: November 11th 2014

Maidstone Studios
New Cut Road
Maidstone
ME14 5NZ
020 8460 4351

INT. MS (ESTABLISHING) TRACK SHOT OF YOUNG MAN LOOKING


THROUGH BOX AND PULLING OUT A SCRAPBOOK.
There is a C/U of young man opening a BOOK and seeing a poem
scribbled down. He starts to read but looks on his thought as
the camera fades... thus his daydream starts.
(V.O.)
What passing bells for these who
die as cattle?
EXT. During this we start to hear the ambient sounds of a
CHOIR fade in...
(V.O.)
Only the monstrous anger of the
guns.
This then fades into a tracking L/S unto the sight of a
grassy FIELD. This leads to the sound of GUNS firing rapidly.
(V.O.)
Only the stuttering rifles rapid
rattle Can patter out their hasty
orisons.
We have a E/LS of a CHURCH fade into....
(V.O.)
No mockeries now for them; no
prayers nor bells
A tracking L/S of the GRAVES of those who have long since
passed on.
(V.O.)
Nor any voice of mourning save the
choirs
Archive footage from World War II is shown on top of a
tracking E/L/S of the grandson walking through the churchyard. The increasing sound we hear is that of a CHOIR that
gets louder for a brief moment.
(V.O.)
The shrill, demented choirs of
wailing shells
And bugles calling for them from
sad shires.
There is a LS of the young man walking to and stopping at an
unmarked grave. The sound of a BUGLE quiet echoes through
(V.O.)
What candles may be held to speed
them all?

2.
We see a brief shot of a CANDLE faded into a M/S shot of him
looking down on the grave.
(V.O.)
Not in the hands of boys but in
their eyes
He solemnly looks up from the grave and notices a shadow in
the distance. (C/U/L/S)
(V.O.)
Shall shine the holy glimmers of
goodbyes.
L/S looks ahead and he sees his grandfather, who we see from
the back wearing a dark suit, a long black COAT and military
HEADGEAR. He is BLURRY in vision. (*an indication he is not
really there*)
(V.O.)
The pallor of girls' brows shall
be their pall
L/S The camera fades into a sepia tone of the fields. Flowers
change COLOUR...
(V.O.)
Their flowers the tenderness of
patient minds
M/S L/S There is a tracking shot of the unmarked graves,
fading into...
(V.O.)
and each slow dusk a drawing-down
of blinds.
A C/U L/S of the church TOWER, this is looped as the camera
slowly zooms in. Church bells echo through LOUDLY before
stopping suddenly.
It cuts to a C/U of the young man reading the last line of
the book. Leading to him looking SOLEMN. The choir fades out
into...
The choir fades out into...
...An EERY piano note subtly increasing in volume.
Archive footage is imposed over footage of a POPPY
ROSE...this is followed by the sights of graves....
Cont. of tracking shot of graves and MONUMENTS whilst the
vintage footage. As well as the sound of gun shots being
fired. Jump cuts to...
...M/CU of the young man closing the book shut tight. He then
places it back in the BOX and walks to the door exit.

3.
M/S of young man stopping for a second, he then switches the
LIGHT off. We then hear it being switched off.
Fade into a M/SL/S of the young man placing a poppy and
flowers next to the unmarked grave as seen previously.
Cut to Black. Credits. We hear Duke Ellingtons Solitude
playing in the background.
END.

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